NBR Board games and other fun things to do with the whole family?

monbon11 · December 2014

I come from a big family and holiday gatherings are huge, loud, fun events with >20 adults and lots of noisy kids, but because we will be in the home stretch on the baby front (>35 weeks), we cannot do the airplane ride to see either family. No big deal, my parents are coming to us, but this means Christmas will be just the four of us. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited that they are coming and we all get along well, I just don't know what to do with such a small family gathering.

I am asking for ideas - any suggestions for board games, activities, fun stuff to do with your parents over the holidays? It will be frigid, so walks outside are a no-go and I don't want to play the same card game for five days

mahalo3 · December 2014

We really like Apple to Apples

MommyOfAMiracle · December 2014

mahalo3 said:

We really like Apple to Apples

Or if your family is anything like mine, Cards Against Humanity. LOL

But cleaner advice, we do this game called "Doubles". It's a gift that is wrapped like 28379365289374 times. You have two dice, a bowl and a pair of oven gloves. You pass the bowl with the dice in it and the person that rolls doubles with the dice gets the gift and the oven mits and they have until the next person rolls doubles, to try and open the gift. When doubles comes up, the person yells, 'DOUBLES!!' and the mits and gift are passed to them. You can only use the oven mits on your hands. No teeth, scratching, dropping, etc.

It's a SUPER fun game. We play it every year. Normally we have a group of about 20 people, but I can't see why it wouldn't be fun with a smaller group.

We also enjoy playing Rummikub (Roomy-cube) together as a family. It's just like Gin Rummy but with tiles. That's a tradition in my family to play on any holiday.

ETA: I don't know what happened with the picture. But that's Rummikub.

AnotherSun · December 2014

My family loves Mexican Train Dominoes. I love Risk but you have to make sure all relationships are rock solid before playing that one

crispywheats · December 2014

mahalo3 said:
We really like Apple to Apples

This. And I think they make a Junior version. I also love Rummikub.

We also love a card game called Fluxx. It's made by Looney Labs. The original version would be fine to play with the entire family, but there are a variety of themed versions, including a Family Fluxx. It's not as easy to find, you'll probably have to go to a game store for most versions. However, Target has begun carrying a version or two including a Cartoon Network themed deck.

Regular card games; hearts, spades, pinochle, are great for developing math and reasoning skills.

Eta: The kid-friendly suggestions were geared toward potential future use with your LO and family.

agm04 · December 2014

We are big game people! We're a family of 4 and I grew up playing spades, 42, scrabble, and poker. We still play when we get together! We really like bananagrams too, for a faster paced game.

agm04 · December 2014

Also, puzzles. Or I might be super lame.

monbon11 · December 2014

AnotherSun said:

My family loves Mexican Train Dominoes. I love Risk but you have to make sure all relationships are rock solid before playing that one

My mom gave me Mexican Train dominoes one year for Christmas and I don't think we ever opened the package. I should give it a shot.

My dad and DH don't have much in common, so I am hoping to find things we can do together that doesn't involve all watching tv...

Thanks!

HerHighness · December 2014

I love apples to apples! Ive played it with my parents. Its always fun.

Euchre is always a hit as well. Since only 4 can play its better in small groups.

CogDis · December 2014

I'm with @MommyOfAMiracle‌ on the Cards Against Humanity game!

We also love Settlers of Catan and Carcasone (sp?). And scrabble.

monbon11 · December 2014

I love Settlers of Catan, will definitely play that at least once!

jennjilljo · December 2014

Apples to apples, cards against humanity and snicker doodle.

twinklymama · December 2014

Another fun game (silliness will be had) is Quelf. Taboo is always a hit in our circle. Someone mentioned Scattergories, that's a good one, or if you like any trivia games, although some people say they would rather not "have to think", which I don't get...

If all else fails, break out movies?

wintersong139 · December 2014

My family plays Cards Against Humanity when we get together, but that is probably not appropriate for most family get togethers...

mahalo3 · December 2014

I just asked my step mom to get my husband Cards Against Humanity for my husband for Christmas. I am thinking this might have been a bad move, seeing as people are saying it's an inappropriate game for the family. Oops. I hope they don't look to much into it or read the box.

wintersong139 · December 2014

mahalo3 said:

I just asked my step mom to get my husband Cards Against Humanity for my husband for Christmas. I am thinking this might have been a bad move, seeing as people are saying it's an inappropriate game for the family. Oops. I hope they don't look to much into it or read the box.

Oh, its hilarious. But highly inappropriate unless for the right crowd. LOL, it's not just that it has bad language or secually explicit terms, it is also WAY not PC. It's like Apples to Apples, but with cards like "Trying not to giggle at the words Hutus and Tutsis" and "white people" and "nubile slave boys." The box shouldn't have anything TOO bad on it though. Let's just hope they don't want to play!

erobbins09 · December 2014

Oh cards against humanity... Expect things like "For this year, instead of coal, Santa is giving all of the bad kids.." "...a gentle caress of the inner thigh"

Or "two midgets shitting in a bucket" is yet another card the wonderful writers came up with. It's hilarious but you have to be in the right crowd.

We love rummykub, quelf (like funny cranium..my dad once had 30 seconds to run, find a bike helmet and had to wear it the rest of the game... While my mom had to play a turn under the dining room table). Apples to apples, scattergories.

Catch phrase is one of my favs! We usually sit in a circle boy/girl which would be a battle of the sexes since you have to pass the device like a hot potato. You try to get your team to guess the word without saying any part of it then hand off the device before it buzzes. Usually there are fights when it's between two people and it goes off. It's awesome.

jennjilljo · December 2014

mahalo3 said:

I just asked my step mom to get my husband Cards Against Humanity for my husband for Christmas. I am thinking this might have been a bad move, seeing as people are saying it's an inappropriate game for the family. Oops. I hope they don't look to much into it or read the box.

Thanks to this game (we didn't know what it was when we agreed to play) DH has said cum guzzling pac-man and pixalated bukaki in front of his parents. Consider this a warning in case they want to play a round.

RedGiant · December 2014

Smart Ass is a fun family trivia game (family = can be played with parents, not little kids). We also like taboo, scattergories, scrabble, bananagrams, jenga. If they are more into strategy games maybe Settlers of catan, or carcassone.

erobbins09 · December 2014

I own at Carcassone.... I'm undefeated

Alygohome · December 2014

We play a lot of pigs in my family. Its a fun game that doesn't require a whole lot of concentration so good if you are drinking.

hopefulsprout · December 2014

I second the Cards Against Humanity and Settlers of Catan games; always a huge hit in our family! We also play the board game Puerto Rico, though it is more complicated. As far as trivia goes, we like BezzerWizzer. As long as you have one person that can run the (easy) logistics of that game, everyone else can sit around relaxed and just play.

DBride2006 · December 2014

We play a lot of games... Apples to Apples, Quelf, Pictionary, Imaginiff, Mexican Train, Rummikub, 1-2-24, Liars Dice, Gin/Rummy are a few family ones we've played.

Now that my almost 6 year old likes to play, we also play Sequence, Sorry, Aggravation and Yahtzee when he plays with us.

Movies are a good plan, too. Maybe some favorites or a series you can work through.

Cooking and baking (decorating cookies or cupcakes)?

Or put them to work- decorating (or taking down decorations)? A household project you've been meaning to do? Maybe not the whole time, but I know my Dad likes to help us do stuff when he comes over.

twinklymama · December 2014

Alygohome said:
We play a lot of pigs in my family. Its a fun game that doesn't require a whole lot of concentration so good if you are drinking.

Oh this game can provide tons of entertainment, too!

Also, I think I MUST get this Card Against Humanity you all speak of.

AshleySparkle720 · December 2014

Playing quelf with my family while being pregnant would literally make me pee from laughing so hard. We always do scategories, apples to apples, spoons, imaginiff, etc

yesiknowwhatcausesthat · December 2014

My favorites have been mentioned already, but I'll add Farkle to the list. It's a pretty easy (and fun) dice game.

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NBR Board games and other fun things to do with the whole family?

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